51 Amazing Facts About Guyana That Will Blow Your Mind

Guyana is a small country located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America.

Interestingly, it remains the only South American country where English is the official language. Guyana is also the only Commonwealth South American state.

Guyana is the third smallest country in South America. Apart from French Guiana, South America hosts two more dependent territories, which are Falkland Island and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The United Kingdom ruled Guyana, which gained its independence on May 26 May 1966. Much before the rule of the UK, Guyana was under Dutch rule. It hosts people from diverse cultures, and interestingly the word 'Guyana' means 'the land of many waters'. It is known to be associated with territorial disputes with both Venezuela and Suriname.

With three different geographical regions, Guyana displays a bespoke beauty that is cherished by thousands of tourists every year. An extensive mountainous region, a low-lying coastal plain, and the lush green savannah make it quite a picturesque country.

One of the most powerful waterfalls is the Kaieteur falls, which is located here and has a total length of about 822 ft (250.55 m). It is four times higher than Niagara Falls. Read on to explore more captivating facts about Guyana.

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Where is Guyana located?

Guyana is situated on the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean of South America. People from different cultures reside here, who speak different indigenous languages, along with English and Urdu.

The native language is Guyanese Creole. It shares more cultural similarities with the Caribbean region than with the other South American countries. Furthermore, it is the only country where English is considered the main language.

The national flag of Guyana is the Golden Arrow Head. It comprises five different colors, including green, which is symbolic of agriculture, and gold, which symbolizes gold mining and other mineral resources. Then there are other colors on the Guyana flag, which are white, symbolic of rivers, black, signifying endurance, and red that symbolizes exuberance.

The currency used in this country is mostly the US dollar along with the Guyanese dollar, which is equivalent to $0.0048. The largest city is the capital Georgetown, with a population of 235,017 people. There are no railway links in Guyana, and minibusses are the most widely used means of transport here.

What is Guyana famous for?

The capital city of Georgetown hosts the tallest wooden structure in the world, which is the St. George's Cathedral. It was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, it was opened for the first time on August 24, 1892.

The Kaieteur Falls hold the record as the largest single-drop waterfall in the world, situated on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park. The name of the Kaieteur Falls is given after a man named Kai, or a chief, who rescued his people by paddling over the falls.

The diverse cultural blend is a unique thing to observe in this country. East Indians, Chinese, European, Portuguese, Africans, and Amerindians share each other's company in this country. A vast majority of the country's architecture reveals the British colonial and imperial past when the British would go to different parts of the world to establish colonies.

The most fascinating of all is the Guyanese cuisine, which serves an array of dishes from different lands and cultures. A popular food served here is the seven curry, which comes with roti (flatbread), or rice and is served with spicy mashed pumpkin, spinach, potato, eggplant, or chickpea curry.

The four longest rivers in Guyana are Essequibo, Courantyne, Berbice, and Demerara. This country is also known for its low rate of deforestation and received a reward of $40 million for it. It comprises 85% forested area, and some parts are totally inaccessible by humans.

The majority of the soil in this country is infertile, and hence maximum population inhabits the coastal plain. The highest mountain peak in the country is Mt. Roraima.

Citizens from Australia, Italy, Jamaica, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Barbados, and several other countries, do not require a visa to visit Guyana. This country is also famous for beautiful handicrafts like paintings, costume jewelry, hats, and wallets.

Due to the presence of several gold mines, gold jewelry is extremely popular here. The largest hospital in Guyana is in Georgetown, which still requires a lot of improvements.

The country gained immense popularity due to the noteworthy Guyanese cricketers like Alvin Kallicharran, Rohan Kanhai, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who all turned out to be the best players for the West Indies cricket team.

Facts About Guyana's Culture

The culture of Guyana is diverse, with people from all over the world. However, an extensive number of suicides occur in the country. It is ranked second in suicides per capita worldwide. The main factor contributing to it is the high cost of living in the country.

The national bird of this country is the Hoatzin. Immense flora and fauna exist in the rainforests of Guyana. Their national flower is the Victoria Water Lilly. More than 6,500 species of exotic plants grow here.

Mauby is a popular drink in Guyana that is made from tree bark. Dark rum is another popular drink among the local citizens of Guyana. The steady temperature and high humidity delay the aging process of the rum, thereby enhancing the taste and texture.

The national anthem is 'Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains'. The national animal of Guyana, on the other hand, is the jaguar. Their education system is based on the British system of teaching, which is quite expensive here. The Omai gold mine is the largest gold mine in the Americas.

The two main commercial centers in Guyana are New Amsterdam and Georgetown. The streets of Guyana host numerous wooden buildings, which are the legacy of the country. The local food produced here includes rice, meat, rum, fish, sugar, and oil. Most of the food exported comes from Europe.

Cricket balls were made on a large scale from the production of balata, which is latex. An important festival that is celebrated every year is the Mashramani festival. It celebrates the birth of the Republic of Guyana.

The term Mashramani means 'celebration after hard work'. Every year on May 23, people celebrate Mashramani.

The pre-mash celebration takes place a day before, which is called the Jouvert. Dancing by the Calypso band and other people is seen on the streets on this day. The Hindu festival of Diwali, the festival of lights, is also celebrated in Guyana and is considered an official holiday on an auspicious day.

Guyana's History Facts

Several early humans came to Guyana from Eurasia about 35,000 years ago. The descendants of these early arriving humans became what is today known as the Carib and Arawak tribes. Explorer Alonso de Ojeda, on his first expedition from Spain, introduced himself to these tribes in the year 1499.

Their colonial history initially began with Spanish settlers and later moved to French and Dutch settlers. Finally, the British colony started in the year 1814 and continued till 1966.

During this time, slavery was completely abolished by the British. After independence in 1966, the Guyanese politician, Forbes Burnham, gained power over the country. Their national holiday is on February 23rd.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about Guyana then why not take a look atfacts about Dublin, or facts about Armenia.